What: Discuss your electronics projects and ask questions about electronics and microcontrollers. Contact Ron (ronald.schubot at kzoomakers.org ) to suggest a topic or ask a question. When: The first Monday of the month, 6:00pm – 8:00pm Where: Kzoo Makers Ron will facilitate the discussion in the Meeting area. Who: Limited to 20 participants Fee: free for members and $5 for non-members Optional items may be…

What: Make a glowing luminary using a Mason Jar and glass marbles. You can add a tea light at night for even more effect. There will be a variety of glass marbles and objects offered. When: Thursday, March 8, 2018, 6:30pm – 8:30pm Where: Kzoo Makers Cathy will be leading this activity in the Fiber Arts room. Who: Limited to 8 seats. Fee: $10 members…

What do an amateur radio group, a woodworkers guild, 4H, Michigan Jaycees, a Linux users group, and a Cub Scout pack have in common? They are examples of outside organizations who have utilized the Kzoo Makers space for their own activity in one of several different ways. Meeting Space Sometimes an organization is looking for a meeting space and has…

The first time you see a jointer, especially one that is 16 inches long, it may seem like a big and scary machine to use. The following video was taken during a workshop at Kzoo Makers and features Daniel Wilkins teaching Amy how to joint the face of a rough cut piece of wood (and ease any fears) . For…

If you have visited the Kzoo Makers space or have been following the blog posts, then you probably have seen the stacks of Ideal Wood rough cut lumber. You may even remember reading about the Ideal Wood Field Trip from the summer. Now Daniel Wilkins and Mark Bush have started Ideal Wood Thursdays at the Kzoo Makers. The Kzoo Makers February 2018…

It’s been slightly longer than a year since the start of the Wood Shop Zone at Kzoo Makers. As you might expect, the area is busy with various people working on projects. Recently, group builds involving members are now on the calendar. Don Batts, the Wood Shop Zone Leader, noted that Dan Wilkins led the latest build on Thursday, January…

Almost every time I do a tour, I start in the back with the electronics area and work my way around to the meeting and workshop areas. This is the point that anyone on the tour thinks we are about done until I say something similar to “But wait! There is more!” Then we exit and cross through the breezeway…

It’s been almost 14 months since the original post “Let’s Start the Makerspace.” At that point, Kzoo Makers had two buildings connected by a breezeway, some furniture and some equipment. Just like any other new business, things changed all the time. In fact, we joked as we walked in the door and wondered out loud what had changed since the…

Have you noticed an increase in the number of activities on our event calendar lately? Did you even know that Kzoo Makers has an event calendar on the website which you can check out here? This past week is a good example of one of our busier weeks. Here are some highlights by the day: On Monday, October 16th, Joe…

How to take a rough cut piece of lumber and turn it into a finished piece of lumber by dimensionalizing one piece of hardwood. The finished piece can be used for a sign blank or shelving. This activity involves the use of the 16″ jointer and 20″ planer.

When it comes to resources for the Kzoo Makers, having local connections creates the best benefits. If you have visited the Kzoo Makers space, then you already know how much the wood shop has grown. What you might not know is how to find the wood for your projects.Yes, you can go to a store such as Menards or Lowe’s,…

It’s Maker Faire season, but what, exactly, does that mean? Are you scratching your head and asking, “What is a maker faire?” A maker faire is marketed as “The greatest show and tell on Earth.” I like to think of it as being similar to a county fair. At a maker faire, individuals and groups display, demonstrate and may offer…